Horse-detacher



(No Model.)

- 2 sheetssheet 1.

Patented Jan. 7, 1896.

Rm m T m ED (RR m L lgazgler Wifgesscs 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

L. R. HERTERT.

HORSE DETAGHER.

4 Patented Jan. 7, 1896.

ANDRKW BGRANAM, PHUTO-UTHlWASflINGTOMlQ UNITE STATES PATENT QFFTCE.

LUOIEN R. HERTERT, OF PIERCE, NEBRASKA.

HORSE-DETACHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 552,706, dated January 7, 1896.

Application filed July 30, 1895. Serial No. 557,600. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LUoIEN R. HERTERT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pierce, in the county of Pierce and State of Nebraska, have invented a new and useful Horse-Detacher, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in horse-detachers.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of horse-detachers and to provide a simple and inexpensive apparatus, capable of enabling a horse to be entirely disconnected from a vehicle in event of a runaway, to prevent injury to the vehicle or its occupants.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a device which will be positive and reliable in operation and which will not be liable to be accidentally operated.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a horse-det-acher constructed in accordance with this invention and shown applied to a portion of a running-gear. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail perspective view of the central portion of the whiffletree, one of the shields or plates of the spring-actuated rods being broken away to show the L-shaped or bayonet slot. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of one-half of the whiflietree. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of one of the holdbacks. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same. Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional View. Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view of the whifiietree.

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 designates a whiffletree, which is pivotally mounted on the cross-bar of a pair of thills or shafts 2 in the usual manner, and which is provided with longitudinal bores or openings 3, extending inward from its ends to within a short distance of its center. Vithin the longitudinal bores or openings are arranged sprin g-actuated rods 4, adapted to project beyond the ends of the whiffletree to env gage a pair of traces to secure the same detachably within hook-shaped arms 5 of ferrules 6. The rods have disposed on them coiled springs 7, which are arranged in enlarged portions of the bores or openings 3,-

and which engage the rods and are adapted to throw the same inward out of engagement with the traces to release the latter as soon as the rods are released and are free to move inward.

The ferrules extend inward on the whiffletree a sufficient distance to cover the enlarged portions of the bores or openings 3, to strengthen the whiffletree at the parts weakened by such enlargements of the bores or openings, and the hook-shaped arms 5 of the ferrules are disposed vertically and are open at the top and are provided opposite the outer terminals of the bores'or openings with concavities to receive the outer ends of the rods, which are pointed to conform to the configuraiion of such concavities.

The inner extremities of the spring-actuated rods are provided with threaded openings, and receive the threaded ends of arms 8, which are arranged within L-shaped or bayonet slots 9, extending longitudinally and transversely of the whiffletree, the transverse portions being at the outer extremities of the longitudinal branches, and being adapted for the reception of the arms, to hold the rods extended against the action of the coiled springs. The whiffletree is provided at its center with a metal face-plate 10, and the transverse portions of the slots extend forward, whereby the arms, which are operated by a connection 11, are thrown out of engagement with the transverse portions of the slots when drawn rearward. The connection 11 may be of any desired construction, and preferably consists of a central strap and end chains, which pass through eyes or guides 12, located sufliciently in rear of the transverse branches of the slots to cause the arms to be thrown out of engagement with the same when a pull is exerted on the connection. Recesses 15 are provided at the inner sides of the transverse branches of the slots, to form seats for the arms, to prevent any liability of the arms being accidentally thrown rearward through horse motion of the shafts or thills. The connection 11 being located at the central portion of the whiffietree is arranged within convenient reach of the occupants of a vehicle, and does not require any straps or other connections extending within the vehicle.

In order to release a horse from the thills orshafts, the latter are provided at their inner sides with holdbacks 14, consisting of an attachment-plate provided with a guide or way 16 and a slide 17, arranged in the guide or way, and carrying eyes or rings 18 and 19 for the connection of the harness. The guide or way 16 is open at the front end and closed at the back. It is preferably formed by extending the side edges of the attachment, plate inward, and both the attachment-plate and the slide 17 are transversely curved to conform to the configuration of a thill. The attachment-plate is provided at its front and rear with perforated ears or extensions for the reception of screws or otherfastening devices for securing the holdback to a thill. The rear eye or ring 18 is designed for the reception of the holdback-strap, and the front ring is designed to be connected to the girth or belly-band.

The diagonal arrangement of the rearwardly-extending eye 18 facilitates the attachment of the holdback-strap, and the front eye is .disposed substantially parallel with the slide and is attached to the girth to cause a horse, in unharnessing it and unhitching it from a Vehicle, to exert on the slide a direct longitudinal strain in steppingfrom the shafts to prevent the slide from. binding in the ways, and to avoid injury to the device.

As soon as the traces are released by the means described, the slides 17 are free to move forward out of the ways of the attachmentplates, and in this manner a horse is entirely disconnected from a vehicle. The slide 17 is prevented from accidentally leaving the attachment-plate and becoming lost when the vehicle is not in use, by a spring 20 secured to the inner face of the attachment-plate and interposed between the same and the thill and having one end free and extending through an opening 21 of the attachment-plate and engaging the inner face of the slide. The arrangement of the spring is such that it cannot be injured in removing the slide from the ways, and the free end of the spring engages the slide at a point intermediate of the ends thereof.

The L-shaped or bayonet slots of the whiffletr'ee are prevented clogging with dirt or other accumulation by plates or shields 22 mounted on the arms and extending over the slots, and being of a sufficient size to cover the same when the arms are at either end thereof.

It will be seen that the apparatus is simple and comparatively inexpensive in construction, that it is positive and reliable in operation, and that it may be instantly operated, as the parts are always in position for use. It will also be apparent that the spring-actuated rods are firmly held in operative position and that they are not liable to become accidentally disengaged from the transverse portions of the slots.

Changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this in- Vention.

WVhat I claim is- 1. In a horse detatcher, the combination of a whiflietr'ee provided with longitudinal bores and having bayonet slots communicating with the same, spring actuated rods arranged in said bores and provided at their inner ends with arms located in said slots, the plates 22 secured to said arms and arranged on the exterior of the whiflie-tree and concealing the bayonet slots, guides mounted on the whiffletree and connections passing through the guides and attach ed to the arms, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In a horse detatcher, a hold back designed to be mounted on a thill and comprising an attachment plate provided at its side edges with ways, and having the ways closed at the back of it and provided between the Ways with an opening, the slide arranged in the ways and provided with forwardly and rearwardly extending eyes 18 and 19, the eye 18 being disposed diagonally and being adapted to receive a hold back strap and the eye 19 being disposed substantially parallel with the slide and adapted to be connected with. the girth or belly-band, whereby a horse in stepping outward from between a pair of shafts will exert a direct longitudinal strain on the slide to prevent the same from binding in the ways, and a spring secured to the inner face of the attachment plate and having one end free and extending through the said opening and engaging the inner face of the slide at a point intermediate of the ends thereof,

substantially as and for the purpose de scribed.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

LUCIEN R. I-IERTERT. lVituesses C. E. STALEY, M. Z. BAss. 

